Electrical conductor terminal cap



Jan. 1935- G. H. GLADE, JR 1,988,725

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR TERMINAL CAP Filed Aug. 5, 1929 Patented Jan. 22,1935 1,988,725 ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR TERMINAL CAP George H. Glade, Jr.,Chicago,-Ill. Application August 5, 1929, Serial No. 383,526

19 Claims. (01.173-361) UNITED STATES PA-TENT'OFFICE' This inventionrelates to electric conductor terminal caps, particularly of the typeused in making connections for electric utility devices;

such as floor lamps, washing machines, toasters and other portabledevices.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a terminal capconsisting of few parts.

Another object of the invention is to produce a terminal cap of simpledesign.

Another object of the invention is to produce a terminal cap of sturdyconstruction,

Another object 01' the invention is to produce a terminal cap thatpermits of the wire ends being connected thereto in a secure andreliable manner.

Another object of the invention is to produce a terminal cap having theblades projecting therefrom that will provide for a substantial andreliable connection 01' these blades to the cap members. e

A further object of the invention is to produce a plug and cordconnection, having such a secure fastening therebetween and between thewires and the blades that the cable may be grasped either adjacent thecap or a greater distance therefrom for removing the same from a socketand in either case no damage will result to the cap, the cable, thewires or the blades from repeated removals in this manner.

Another object of the invention is to attain those ends and otherobjects, which will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is an axial section.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing the wires attached in adifferent manner.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and indicating still another way ofsecuring the wires to the blades.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the core.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the blades.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a blade of slightly different form.

Fig. 9 is a view of the cable showing how the wire ends are bent when inassembled position in the cap.

Fig. 10 is a view of a detail of construction; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-section of the device as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 the cap A is shown as attached to a cooperating plug B whichhas screw thread connections with a socket or outlet C. which. may

be understood as indicating a source of electric current to be conductedby the cable D.

The cable D consists of the two usual wires 1+1, which are first passedthrough the bore 3 in the core 2. The wire ends, it will be under-' 5stood, are bared for contact with the two blades 4-4 so as to transmitcurrent there The parts 4-4 of the blades 4 are parallel and extend fromthe cap for the purpose of connection with the part B in, a wellunderstood It is common practice to mount blades of this kind to a capmember by merely bending them in such a way as to allow of a rivet orscrew being passed through the bent portion, and thus securing it to thecap body; this practice has its faults, and to overcome the undesirableresults of such a mounting the present blades are formed so as tointerlock with grooves and indentations formed on the outer surface ofthe core 2, and are held in position by a collet 5 whose interiorsurface is'serrated and which is forced on to the core 2 and held inplace thereon by i'riction.

Each blade, as seen in Figs. 2 and '7, is bent at 4" and 4 and theportion 4 between these bends forms a rightangle with the protrudingportion 4; a portion 4 continues from the bend 4 in a plane parallel tothe portion 4". A i'urther right angle bend at 4 forms a book 4 whichprovides means for locking theblade against displacement. A notch 4 isformed in the end of the hook 4 to accommodate the wire 1 in a mannerwhich will be further described.

The core 2 has the peripheral grooves 10-10 previously referred to foraccomodating the portions 4 of the blades, and the end grooves 11-11 toaccommodate the portion 4. At the extremity of the peripheral grooves10-10 are the sockets 1212 for receiving the hook portion 4 I The wires11, after being introduced through the bore 3 of the core 2 are led awayfrom each other, and from the center of the core, and laid along thegrooves 11-1l, and then bent to follow into the peripheral paraxialgrooves 10-10. The part 4 of each blade is then inserted into the cavityor socket 12 and the notch 4 is occupied by the wire 1 and holds itagainst lateral displacement, while the collet 5 is pressed on inposition, carrying the remaining end thereof toward the bend 4; thewires when so position as well as operating to securely retain theblades against all movement. In connection with the forcing of thecollet on the core 2 and holding the same in place by frictionas'hereinbefore mentioned, this frictional gripping effect is or maypreferably be secured by sliding or driving the collet lengthwise overthe core so as to make a driving or driven fit which would hold theparts firmly and securely together merely by the friction of theircontacting surfaces.

In the form of blades shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

the collet functions in the same way for securing them in their relativepositions with the core 2, but the wires, instead of being held by thecollet, are laid under screw heads 15-15 in the part 4 of the form shownin 'Fig. 4, and under screw heads 16-16 which are secured to the offsetportion 4* of the blade member, as shown in Fig. 8, formed as projectinglaterally from the portions 4 -4 which correspond to the portions 4 inthe form shown in Fig. 7. This expedient last described for securing thewires, is desirable in the event that the wire ends, as assembled in thefactory by pressing on the collet 5, become displaced or damaged, and anew connection or new cable end is desirable to be introduced; the wireends 1-1 may then be passed through the bore 3 as at first, but insteadof being held in position by the collet as first described, they may bewound round the screws 15 or 16 and held in place thereby. It will beseen that in Figs. 4, 5 and 11 the prongs are frictionally held in placeby the collet by clamping the prongs to the coreby the driven fit of thecore and collet. The prongs may be held in place however merely by thecooperation of the hooks 4 with the core, the collet merely preventinglateral movement of the prongs.

The core 2 and collet 5 are made of any suitable insulating materialsuch as semi-hard rubber, Bakelite, fibre or any other substance thatwill readily occur to the minds of those skilled in the art, the corebeing preferably made of semi-hard rubber and the collet beingpreferably made of hard fiber.

It will be understood that many changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim:

,1. In a device of the character described having a set of blades and asemi-hard core, means comprising cooperating hooks and cavities forfitting the blades to the core, and means cooperating with said bladesand core frictionally retaining said blades in position, said meansincluding a hard collet in the form of a cylindrical shell arranged tosurround the said core.

2. In a device of the character described having a hard collet in theform of a cylindrical shell, a set of blades and a semi-hard core,

: means for fitting the blades to the core, and means for mechanicallyretaining them in position, said fitting means including a hook on eachblade and cavities in the core for receiving the said hooks, and thecollet surrounding the same and contacting the blades and holding thehooks on the blades in said cavities in the core.

3. In a device of the character described having a semi-hard core and aset of blades associated therewith, lead wires from said blades and ahard collet in the form of a cylindrical shell, said collet adapted tobe slipped over the core and blades and hold the blades in position anda hard collet in the form of a cylindrical shell, peripheral grooves insaid core for receiving'the said blades, and said collet adapted to heslipped over the core and blades to retain the said blades in the saidgrooves by being pressed over the core and forming an encircling memberthereabout.

5. In a device of the character described, including a cylindricallyshaped core, a set of blades having hooked ends associated therewith, aperipheral groove in the core for each blade, an end groove connectingwith each peripheral groove for retaining the hooked ends of said bladesin proper position, and a collet in the form of a cylindrical shellarranged to frictionally engage the core and hold the hooked ends of theblades in said end grooves.

6. In a device of the character described, comprising a semi-hardcylindrically shaped core, a setof blades and a hard collet in the formof an open-ended cylindrical shell, said blades each having one endthereof intruded in the said core, said collet surrounding the saidsemi-hard core and adapted to be slipped over the core and blades tofrictionally hold the said blades in position.

'7. In a device of the character described, including a set of blades, asemi-hard cylindrically shaped core and a hard cylindrically shapedopen-end collet, means for fitting the blades to the core and means forfrictlonally retaining them in position, said frictional means being thesaid collet which surrounds and frictionally engages the core and holdsthe blades in position.

8. In a device of the character described, including a hard open-endedcylindrically shaped collet, a set of blades and a semi-hard core, meansfor fitting the blades to the core and. means for removably securingthem in position; a hook on each blade, cavities in the core to receivethe .said hooks, the said collet arranged to surround and befrictionally held on the said core for retaining the hooks in the saidcore cavities.

9. In a device of the character described, including an open-endedcylindrically shaped collet and a core, and a set of blades; aperipheral groove in the core for each blade and grooves at the end ofthe core communicating with the peripheral grooves adapted to receivethe blades, the said collet arranged to be frictionally held on the coreand retain said blades in position in the said grooves by contact withsaid blades.

10 A device of the class specified having a core provided with blades,the blades having laterally bent portions to provide hooks and the corehaving shoulders to engage said hooks and hold the blades againstoutward movement, lead wires extending lengthwise of portions of theblades and in contact therewith, the ends of said lead wires beingdoubled back so that their end portions extend backwardly on theopposite sides of said blade portions and in contact therewith, and adevice encircling the core and said blade portions and contacting thebackwardly fit with the core so as to hold the parts in assembledrelation by the friction thereof.

11. A device of the class specified comprisinga core provided withblades, the blades being bent laterally outward and then extendinglengthwise of the core and then being bent laterally inward at theirends to form end hooks or shoulders, lead wires lying between .thelengthwise portions of the blades and the core and extending around theends of the blades and thence backwardly on the outer sides of saidlengthwise blade portions, and a collet surrounding the core andcontacting with said outside portions of the lead wires and holding thelead wires in contact with the blades and also holding the blades inposition against removal from the core, said collet having a driven fitwith the core and the parts being held in assembled relation by thefriction of such fit.-

12. A device of the class specified, comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and substantially enclosing the outer endportion of the same, said collet having a driven fit with the core tohold the two together frictionally and contact blades held in positionin the device by the driven fit of the collet and core and havingprotruding ends adapted to serve as contacts for plug sockets.

13. A device of the class specified comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and having a driven fit with the same, saidcollet substantially enclosing the outer end portion of the core andcontact blades having longitudinally extending portions inserted in thedevice, and held in position by the driving fit of the collet over thecore, said blades having protruding ends to serve as contacts for plugsockets. l 14. A device of the class specified, comprising a core and asleeve-like collet surrounding the core and substantially enclosing theouter end portion of the same, s'aid collet having a driven fit with thecore to hold the two together frictionally and contact blades havinglongitudinally extending portions interposed between the core and colletand frictionally held in position by the tightness of the close fit ofthe collet on the core, said blades having protruding ends adapted toserve as contacts for plug sockets.

15. A device of the class specified, comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and substantially enclosing the outer endportion of the same, said collet having a driven fit with the core tohold the two together frictionally and contact blades havinglongitudinally extending portions interposed between the core and colletand held in position by the tightness of the close fit of the collet onthe core, said blades having protruding ends adapted to serve ascontacts for plug sockets, and lead-in wires frictionally held by saidcollet extended lengthwise of the portions of the contact bladesassociated with the core so as to make contact with serve as contactsfor plug sockets and lead-in wires extended along and in contact withportions of said blades frictionally held by said collet against theblades to make electrical connectionv therewith.

17. A device of the class specified comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and having a driven fit therewith andcontact blades having longitudinally extending portions arranged betweenthe collet and core and frictionally held in position by the same, saidblades also having transversely extending portions fitting against theend of the core and also having other longitudinally extending portionswhich project outwardly from the core and form contacts for plugsockets.

18. A device of the class specified comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and having a driven fit therewith andcontact blades having longitudinally extending portions arranged betweenthe collet and core and held in position by the same, said blades alsohaving transversely extending portions fitting against the end of thecore and also'having other longitudinally extending portions whichproject outwardly from the core and form contacts for plug sockets, andlead-in wires arranged lengthwise of and in contact with thefirst-mentioned longitudinally extending portions of said blades and thetransverse portions thereof, frictionally held in place by said collet.

19. A device of the class specified comprising a core and a sleeve-likecollet surrounding the core and substantially enclosing the contact endmaking portion thereof, said collet and core being secured and heldtogether merely by frictional gripping of surfaces which extendlongitudinally in a substantially straight manner and contact bladesinserted in the device and frictionally held in place by the collet andcore and,

having protruding ends adapted to serve as contacts for plug sockets. V

GEORGE H. GLADE, JR.

